Michael%252520Goodman Archive

The big news out of Cleveland is that Justin Masterson has been traded. While that topic took center stage in the afternoon, the duel between Felix Hernandez and Corey Kluber highlighted the evening. Join Michael Goodman as he gives his Second Thoughts on the busy day that was Wednesday, analyzing the trade that dominated the afternoon and the pitching matchup that dominated the night.

The Indians had an off day on Monday, but that did not stop all the talk about the upcoming trade deadline on Thursday. With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, there are many opinions and thoughts about what the Indians should do, or not do. The IBI's Michael Goodman offers up a unique take on this with a conversation with his father.

The Indians lost the rubber match on Wednesday to the Twins, 3-1. These are the series that the Indians need to win if they want to earn a playoff spot. The loss in this game was a huge missed opportunity, and offsets any momentum gained during the Detroit series. The IBI's Michael Goodman shares his second thoughts on one of the more frustrating losses of the season for the Indians...

This was a winnable game that ended with an unfavorable result for the Indians. With each win of increasing importance, it’s a disappointing start to a three game series against the Minnesota Twins. The Indians battled the whole night to try and come from behind, managing to do so in the 8th inning on an RBI single from Roberto Perez, but a Bryan Shaw served up a solo homer in the bottom half of the inning that would prove to be the difference. The IBI's Michael Goodman provides his second thoughts on the game...

The second half of the season is about to kick off, and now is as good of a time as any to analyze what it’s going to take for the Indians to make the playoffs. Currently, the team is 47-47 and just 3.5 games back in the race for the second Wild Card spot. Join Michael Goodman as he gives his off-day Second Thoughts on a three-step plan to get Cleveland into the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

For a second year in a row this spring, Michael Goodman profiled five players he thought were keys to the Indians’ playoff hopes. These were individuals whose performance, for better or worse, would go a long way toward determining the team’s ultimate fate in the 2014 season. With the All-Star Break upon us, Michael reviews those five players and looks at how they’ve done thus far.

The Indians roller coaster season continued on Wednesday. After a galvanizing win against the Yankees and Masahiro Tanaka on Tuesday, the Indians blew an early lead and ended up losing this game in 14 innings, 5-4. The IBI's Michael Goodman provides his second thoughts on a frustrating loss for the Indians...

It was another short night for Justin Masterson as he lasted just two-plus innings and was his fourth start in five in which he’s failed to go more than four innings. The IBI's Michael Goodman provides his second thoughts on the Indians 5-3 loss to the Yankees, why it is time to sit down Masterson and maybe give Carlos Carrasco a shot, what the acquisition of Chris Dickerson means, and more.

It had been mid-June since the Indians last scored a series win. It took another late game rally, but they scored three times in the 8th inning to come back and take the win against the Dodgers. The IBI's Michael Goodman provides his second thoughts on why this was an impressive win for the Indians and more...

This game was officially the halfway point in the season. The Indians now stand at 39-42, 6.5 games back in the division and 4.5 games back for the second Wild Card spot. The IBI's Michael Goodman provides his second thoughts on the game and also looks at key areas of the team that need to step up in the second half.

We’re nearly halfway through the 2014 season and the Indians stand exactly at .500. That record is reflective of inconsistent play that has plagued various aspects of the team all season. As the middle of summer approaches, the evaluation period for the current roster should be closing and focus shifting to making the decisions necessary to improve the roster for the stretch run. The IBI's Michael Goodman takes a look at what areas the team should bolster as the trade deadline nears.

After impressing in Texas the Indians two two steps back in Kansas City losing both games and not looking good in doing so. The poor hitting, struggles against lefties, and sloppy defense returned, and it all added up to a quick two-game sweep at the hands of the Royals. The IBI's Michael Goodman provides his second thoughts on the game...

When you’re struggling offensively, you should enjoy running into a guy like Hector Noesi. With the return of Jason Kipnis to the lineup and Noesi (career ERA of 5.73) on the hill, this was as good a chance as any to break out of the funk. Instead, the Indians failed to score more than two runs for a fourth consecutive game (all losses), and dropped a second straight winnable game late. The IBI's Michael Goodman shares his second thoughts on another tough loss for the Indians...

A walk-off balk is one of the rarest occasions in baseball. From some cursory research, it appears this has only happened about 15 times in HISTORY. While the way the game was won on Wednesday is certainly the most unbelievable event that occurred, the game featured three separate comebacks by the Indians and is without a doubt the biggest (and most improbable) win of the year. The IBI's Michael Goodman provides his "second thoughts" on the amazing win...

It’s been a long time since we’ve had one of these wins. Mike Aviles’ hit in the bottom of the ninth inning (with two outs!) gave the Indians their first walk off win of the year. The IBI's Michael Goodman shares his Second Thoughts on the walk off magic, the struggling bats, evaluates Danny Salazar's performances and much more.

The Indians three hit performance against the Angels on Wednesday night was a fitting end to their West Coast trip. The team finished the game just 1-for-22 from the plate, putting an exclamation point on a six game stretch of horrors. The Indians finish the month of April 11-17, and with more questions than when the season started. The IBI's Michael Goodman recaps what went wrong during the trip and the month.

The Indians rallied for a much needed 5-3 win over the Royals on Wednesday night, earning just their second win of the season against a left-handed starting pitcher in the process. The IBI's Michael Goodman reviews some of the performances from the game and notes some good and bad trends which are developing with some key Indians players.

Did anyone guess that Zach McAllister was going to be the best pitcher out of the gate this season? After another strong outing against the Tigers on Wednesday night, he might very well be. The IBI's Michael Goodman talks about McAllister's impressive outing, the continued struggles of some key players, some costly defensive miscues and more from the Indians 3-2 win over the Tigers.

Another doubleheader, another split. After a great offensive series against Minnesota and an eight run outburst on Tuesday, the Indians offense slumped in both games on Wednesday. The team managed only 11 hits in the two games, but thanks to some stellar pitching found a way to take one game of the doubleheader. The IBI's Michael Goodman provides some "second thoughts" on the games...

The Indians starting pitching staff will be trying to fill two significant holes left by the defections of Scott Kazmir and Ubaldo Jimenez. While Danny Salazar fills one of those spots, and some combination of Carlos Carrasco and Josh Tomlin will try to fill the other, it’s Corey Kluber who will slot behind Justin Masterson and be tasked with helping him carry the rotation. It’s an amazing rise Kluber has undergone to get to this point, and the IBI's Michael Goodman talks about his key role for the team this season.

Available IBI Books

The 2014 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider book featuring the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is now available. Also, previous editions from 2008-2012 are also available at a discounted rate. Just click on the book image for more information. Thanks again for all the support!